JPS6328548B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile telephone switching system for a voice response device having a facsimile input/output processing function for image transmission and a voice response processing function for telephone conversations.

(b) Background of the technology Modern voice response devices read image information recorded on a document on the transmitting side, convert it into an electrical image signal, and transmit it using a telephone line, and on the receiving side, it transmits the image information electronically. A facsimile input/output processing function that restores the image signal that has been transmitted and records it as image information,
It has a voice response processing function that performs human-to-human or human-to-machine dialogue between telephones, and recognizes and processes human voice based on execution commands from the other party. Microcomputers are increasingly being used as control devices. In particular, in human-to-machine dialogue, as the recognition rate of voice recognition devices has improved, measures have been taken to allow the other party to issue execution commands through a voice response processing function.

(c) Problems with the prior art The conventional facsimile input/output processing function of this type of facsimile voice response device is such that when an image signal is transmitted electronically from the transmitting side, the image can be automatically transmitted without any human operation on the transmitting side. It is now possible to receive messages. In addition, after completing the facsimile processing procedure, a buzzer is sounded to request a telephone switchover, and upon receiving a response from the other party, the conversation is switched to a telephone conversation. The so-called human-to-machine dialogue is now taking place between the machine and the operator on the receiving side.

An overview of this type of operating procedure will be described below. FIG. 1 is a flow diagram showing the facsimile procedure. In Figure 1, a ringing tone is transmitted from the transmitting side to the receiving side by a "dial call" operation,
If the receiving side is in automatic reception mode that does not require an operator, the receiving side responds by sending out a called station recognition signal, and the transmitting side detects this called station recognition signal and detects the telephone line link. Established
a, and the sending side performs the operation of "pressing the send button". In addition, if a manual reception mode in which conversation is possible is provided, when the operator on the receiving side answers the telephone, the state is "telephone line link establishment" (a), and the state shifts to "conversation by telephone" (b). Facsimile machines are usually equipped with an automatic reception mode or a manual reception mode as described above. Therefore, when sending a document, the user turns the dial to call the recipient, confirms whether it is automatic or manual reception by listening to the response sound, and then presses the send button. When the receiving side also completes reception preparations, by "pressing the receive button" the receiving side sends out a group recognition signal and the process is "establishment of a facsimile physical link" c.
Subsequently, for "optimum speed selection" d, the transmitting side sends out a group command signal, and the receiving side detects this group command signal and sends out a reception preparation confirmation signal. By detecting this reception preparation confirmation signal, the sending side establishes a "logical facsimile link" e, and performs "facsimile electronic transmission", which is the electronic transmission of an image signal that transmits image information, that is, a message.
will be moved to

After the electronic transmission of the original document is completed, a message end signal is sent from the sending side, and the receiving side detects the message end signal and sends a message end confirmation signal. The sending side detects the message completion confirmation signal and enters "release facsimile"g, the facsimile processing procedure is completed, the sending side sends a push button signal requesting a telephone switch, and the receiving party's telephone switching request buzzer is activated. When the phone rings, the receiver picks up the receiver and shifts to ``Telephone Conversation'' h. At this point, in the case of human-human interaction, a telephone call is made between mutual handlers, and in the case of human-machine interaction, a telephone call is made between the mutual handlers.
Communication occurs between the voice response device on the sending side and the operator on the receiving side. After the telephone conversation ends, "Telephone function is turned on"
As a result of the operation, there is no procedure end signal from the facsimile, but an electrical signal from the telephone is transmitted to the exchange, resulting in "telephone line link release" i, and the telephone line is restored.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the configuration of a voice response device having a facsimile input/output processing function and a voice response processing function, and both the transmitting side and the receiving side have the same configuration.
A central control section 1 controls a facsimile processing section 2, a modem section 3, a voice response processing section 4, and a line switch 5. Telephone 6 is connected to a telephone line via line switch 5.

The facsimile processing section 2 has a mechanism for converting and compressing the original into an image signal, and a mechanism for restoring the image signal sent from the sending side and recording it on a storage medium.The modem section 3 converts the input and output signals into transmission signals. Convert, modulate,
The voice response processing section 4 has a function of recognizing the push button signal for requesting telephone switching or the voice of the telephone speaker, and the line switch 5 performs a switching operation between image transmission and telephone communication to connect the telephone line. It is connected to the.

In this configuration, when transmitting image information from the transmitting side, a modulated signal is sent to the telephone line via the modem section 3 by a "dial call" operation,
When the send button is pressed or the receive button is pressed, the line switch 5 switches from telephone communication to image transmission under the control of the central control unit 1, and the facsimile processing unit 2 is driven to send the image signal to the modem unit 3 for image modulation. It is sent as a signal onto the telephone line. When receiving image information, the modem section 3 demodulates it as an image modulation signal input from the telephone line under the control of the central control section 1, and the facsimile processing section 2 receives the image information.
The image signal is restored and recorded on a storage medium.

After the facsimile processing procedure is completed and the facsimile is released, the line switch 5 is switched from image transmission to telephone communication under the control of the central control unit 1, and control is transferred to the voice response processing unit 4. The receiving side receives a push button signal requesting a telephone switch from the transmitting side, the telephone switching request buzzer sounds, the receiver picks up the receiver, and the process shifts to a ``telephone conversation''. However, even if communication by telephone is possible after transitioning to "conversation by telephone", the voice response processing unit 4 on the transmitting side will not be notified that the other party has picked up the receiver. In the case of human-to-human dialogue, the timing at which both handlers start a telephone conversation depends on when the handler speaks to the other party, and there are no particular signals or the like. In a human-to-machine conversation where the other party is not a human, it is difficult to find the right time to start the conversation, so it is difficult to find the right time to start the conversation. , had the disadvantage of requiring complicated operations to initiate dialogue.

(d) Purpose of the Invention The object of the present invention is to ensure that both the sending and receiving sides can switch to the voice response processing function after the facsimile input/output processing function completes the facsimile processing.

(e) Structure of the Invention According to the present invention, the present invention provides a voice response device having a facsimile input/output processing function and a voice response processing function, and which is connected to a telephone line via a line switch. The voice response processing section further includes a voice response processing section, a voice response switching section, and a centralized control section that controls these, and the voice response processing section includes a voice recognition section and a push button signal processing section, and after the facsimile processing by the facsimile input/output processing function is completed. In order to detect a response by either a voice or a push button signal arriving from the receiving side in response to the telephone switching request signal sent from the transmitting side, the voice recognition unit and the push button signal processing unit are in a response detection preparation state for a certain period of time, and when either of them This is achieved by a facsimile telephone switching system characterized in that the voice response switching unit switches to the voice response processing function by detecting a response. The device also includes a voice synthesizing unit that sends out a voice input guide message, and transmits a voice input guide message at regular intervals after transmitting a telephone switching request signal on the transmitting side, and transmits the voice input guide message to the push button signal processing unit or the voice recognition unit. The present invention is configured such that the input terminal waits for a push button signal from the other party or a voice input from the telephone speaker, and in response to the input, a signal is sent to the voice response switching section, and the voice response switching section switches to a voice response processing function. It will be achieved even if it is difficult.

That is, according to the present invention, facsimile processing is improved by providing a function of sending out a voice input guide message at regular intervals, and a function of always waiting for a push button signal or voice input from a telephone speaker for a constant time and switching to a voice response. When the voice response processing function shifts to human-to-machine dialogue after the procedure is completed, it provides a measure that allows the transition to occur in a timely manner, and has the advantage that telephone lines can be used efficiently.

(f) Embodiment of the Invention An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Third
The figure is a block diagram of the configuration of a facsimile voice response device using the centralized control system of the present invention, and the same objects are designated by the same symbols as in FIG. 2. 7 is a centralized control unit, 8
9 is a voice response processing unit, 9 is a voice synthesis unit, 10 is a voice recognition unit, 11 is a push button signal processing unit, 12
is a voice response switching section. The centralized control section 7 includes a facsimile processing section 2, a modem section 3, a line switch 5, a voice response processing section 8, and a voice response switching section 1.
Control 2. The voice response processing section 8 includes a voice synthesis section 9 that sends out a voice input guide message at regular intervals, a voice recognition section 10 that waits for the telephone speaker's voice input and then sends out a signal, and a voice recognition section 10 that waits for the input of a push button signal. It consists of a push button signal processing section 11 that sends out signals. The voice response switching section 12 is the voice recognition section 10 or the push button signal processing section 11.
It waits for input from the sending side, and then switches to voice response based on the signal sent.

In this configuration, the steps from the "dial call" operation to the "facsimile release" are the same as those described above, and will therefore be omitted. When the "facsimile transmission" procedure is completed and the "facsimile is released", the sending side sends a telephone switching request signal to the receiving side, the receiving side's facsimile processing unit 2's telephone switching request buzzer sounds, and the handset is lifted up. push button signal, or
Depending on the audio input arrangement, either a push button signal or the voice of the telephone speaker is sent to the transmitter. A voice recognition section 10 on the transmitting side always waits for a telephone caller's voice sent from the receiving side for a certain period of time, and a push button signal processing section 11 on the sending side always waits for a push button signal sent from the receiving side for a certain period of time. The voice recognition unit 10 or the push button signal processing unit 11 recognizes the push button signal sent from the receiving side or the voice of the telephone speaker, sends a signal to the voice response switching unit 12, and the voice response switching unit 12 responds by voice. , and a human-to-machine interaction takes place.

Also, the "facsimile transmission" procedure has been completed,
When "releasing the facsimile", after the transmitting side sends a push button signal requesting a telephone switch to the receiving side, the voice synthesizer 9 sends a voice input guide message at regular intervals, such as "Please answer the facsimile termination call", etc. The voice recognition section 10 or push button signal processing section 11 on the sending side recognizes the push button signal sent from the receiving side or the voice of the telephone speaker, and sends a signal to the voice response switching section 12. The response is then switched to voice response by the voice response switching unit 12, and a human-to-machine dialogue is performed. The speech synthesis section 9 is the central control section 7
Under the control of , the voice recognition section 10 or the push button signal processing section 11 recognizes the voice and stops at that point.

The above procedure has the advantage that the human-machine dialogue can be performed without worrying about the other party, and the timing to start the dialogue can be easily found.

(g) Effects of the Invention As explained above, after the facsimile processing procedure according to the present invention is completed, voice input can be performed on a voice response device having a facsimile input/output processing function for image transmission and a voice response processing function for telephone conversation. By providing a voice synthesis unit that sends out a guide message and a voice response switching unit that waits for a push button signal or input of the telephone caller's voice and switches to a telephone, human-to-machine dialogue can be carried out in a timely manner. This has the effect of allowing lines to be used efficiently.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing the operating procedure of a conventional facsimile apparatus, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the configuration of the conventional system, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the configuration according to the present invention. In the drawing, 2 is a facsimile processing unit, 3 is a modem unit, 5 is a line switch, 6 is a telephone set, and 7 is a facsimile processing unit.
Reference numeral 8 indicates a central control section, 8 a voice response processing section, 9 a voice synthesis section, 10 a voice recognition section, 11 a push button signal processing section, and 12 a voice response switching section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a voice response device that has a facsimile input/output processing function and a voice response processing function and is connected to a telephone line via a line switch, the facsimile processing section, the modem section, and also the voice response processing section and voice response switching section are provided. The voice response processing section includes a voice recognition section and a push button signal processing section. In order to detect a response from either the voice or the push button signal arriving from the receiving side, the voice recognition section and the push button signal processing section are in a response detection preparation state for a certain period of time, and when either one detects a response, the voice response switching section is activated. A facsimile telephone switching system characterized by switching to a voice response processing function.